This year marks the 40th anniversary of the recovery of the Mary Rose warship from the bed of the Solent, where she sank in 1545.

Following one of the most complex and expensive maritime salvage projects in history, the warship of the Tudor navy, serving under King Henry VIII, was finally recovered and laid to rest at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, where the ship’s restored remains are visited by thousands of tourists every year.

As part of a wider partnership with Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Taylor Made Designs is proud to supply all the uniform needs of the 200 strong staff team and volunteers who manage the attraction and the award-winning museum built in 2013 to house recovered artifacts and tell the remarkable story of the ships journey to its final resting place.

James Taylor, Managing Director, Taylor Made Designs, says: “The Mary Rose represents an incredible part of our British history. It’s hard to believe 40 years have passed since it was recovered from the seabed off the south coast of England, a feat I remember witnessing on the news as a youngster. At Taylor Made Designs, are all incredibly proud to be able to play a very small part in supporting the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in its quest to enable as many people as possible to visit the 473-year-old shipwreck and immerse themselves in the history and life of such an incredible artefact.

Dominic Jones, CEO of the Mary Rose Trust - the charitable organisation responsible for the Mary Rose and the development of the museum, says: “Taylor Made Designs consistently ensures all our staff and volunteers are kitted out in the custom-branded technical garments they need to go about their business. Ordering and deliveries are managed through an online portal, making it incredibly easy to manage stock and make sure everyone gets the garments they need, when they need them. I look forward to working with James and the team as we now head towards the 50th anniversary of the raising of the Mary Rose!”

Taylor Made Designs (TMD) has officially pledged its support to hundreds of the UK’s most popular museums, galleries, palaces, castles, cathedrals, zoos, historic houses, heritage sites, gardens and leisure attractions, via a Corporate Partnership with the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA).

TMD’s Managing Director, James Taylor, says: “Through this new association with ALVA we will extend our reach, inviting many more attraction-based organisations to access our extensive, fully customisable workwear collection and range of merchandise - perfect for stocking giftshops and goodie bags.”

TMD has been supporting the Attractions industry for many years, with an impressive client portfolio that already includes some of the most iconic organisations in the business, some of which are ALVA members, such as Merlin Entertainments, Warner Bros Studio Tour, Southport Pleasureland, Brighton Palace Pier, Hobbledown Heath Adventure Park and The Mary Rose Trust.

James adds: “ALVA members represent more than 2,200 tourist sites, hosting over 119 million domestic and overseas visitors every year. This represents around 28 per cent of annual attraction visits in the UK. By formalising our relationship with ALVA, we are confirming our continued support to an industry that, according to Visit England, contributes around £106 billion to the UK economy (GDP). We look forward to playing our part in the industry’s continued growth and prosperity.”

Speaking about TMD joining as Corporate Partner, Bernard Donoghue, Director, ALVA, says: “We are delighted to welcome TMD into our fold as our exclusive workwear and merchandise partner. Through our carefully selected Corporate Partners we continue to give members access to added-value opportunities. This is exactly what TMD brings to the party.”

For more information about Taylor Made Designs, visit:  www.tmd1993.com. For more information about ALVA, visit: alva.org.uk

Taylor Made Designs (TMD) has for 30 years been based out of the South Coast, UK. Delivering uniform, workwear and branded merchandise to a significant base of loyal clients in the Superyacht, Hospitality and Leisure Sectors, and in more recent years, an expansion into the Cruise Line Sector.

‘Let’s face it, Brexit, and coming out of the European Union, has not been good for UK based businesses wanting to export into Europe,’ says Ed Taylor, Managing Director.

With an increasing requirement to supply new and existing clients across Europe, TMD has now set up Fiscal Representation in Holland, together with warehousing and logistical facilities in Berlicum, Holland and additional production capabilities in Lodz, close to Warsaw, Poland.

The move represents a significant opportunity for TMD to be able to provide its uniform management and consultancy services, supplying and manufacturing branded and unbranded uniform, workwear, gifts, and event giveaways to all sectors globally.

“Delivering into Europe, either via our 3LP partners in Berlicum, Netherlands or directly through our additional production facility in Lodz, Poland will remove unwanted stresses and paperwork for our clients – as though we were physically based in mainland Europe, having EU VAT status, which we now have. This move allows us to deliver directly to our clients, without duties, and providing our client has a valid EU VAT number, without VAT also. A simple, smooth transition through Europe, Of course, we will also continue to deliver under T1 status and hold stock for our clients where necessary.”

Mr Taylor continues, ‘We recognise that most of our client base is here in the UK, however, especially since the pandemic, a lot of our international clients have called for us to set up a more streamlined European distribution process to facilitate multiple European requirements. We have our eye on other 3PL facilities across the EU including France, Germany, Spain and Italy.

“It has been important for TMD to make this move in order to build on existing relationships and develop future partnerships with clients and operators.”

For further information, reach out to TMD by emailing [email protected] or +44 1202 473311.

This month, Blu Leisure launches Eco Blu its new, sustainable swimwear range created from recycled ocean plastics.

“Every year, an estimated 33 billion pounds of plastic is entering our oceans. This is having a devastating effect on marine life, causing the unnecessary deaths of millions of seabirds and hundreds of thousands of marine animals every year,” explains Vicki Peck, Blu Leisure Managing Director.

“By repurposing plastic bottles and other plastic waste recovered from the ocean into high quality products, in this case swimwear, we are creating a value for a material that otherwise threatens to cause irreversible damage to the marine ecosystem. At Blu Leisure we take our environmental responsibility very seriously. The launch of Eco Blu is part of our commitment to reducing our environmental impact and achieving net zero by 2030.”

Eco Blu is available now to any leisure operator keen to improve the sustainability of their swim retail offer. Garments are available for men and women, in a range of sizes.

Vicki adds: “In addition to the sustainability credentials, each garment is produced to the highest possible standard and has chlorine resistant properties which guard against wear and tear and optimise the product’s lifespan.

“Our strategy is to start the collection small, growing it slowly and responsibly to ensure we never over produce, thus safeguarding against the creation of excessive, avoidable waste, a huge problem in the global clothing industry.”

The lifespan of a fabric is not only determined by the way it is designed and manufactured but also by the way it is worn, washed and dried. Every Eco Blu item is accompanied by labelling that gives clear instructions on product care that supports longevity, again helping to reduce the amount of waste.

For more information about Eco Blu, visit: bluleisure.co.uk/products-and-services/eco-blu/. Or you can contact the Blu Leisure team on 01908 582525 for more details.

Trailblazing leisure retail and bespoke uniform specialist, Blu Leisure, has announced the promotion of Tiffany Barritt into the role of Business Development Manager to support the brand’s ongoing commitment to expanding its presence in existing markets whilst also venturing into new, international territories.

Tiffany started her Blu Leisure journey back in 2021 when she joined as Retail Executive, swiftly moving into the role of Retail Manager, supporting Blu’s diverse portfolio of clients, assisting with all aspects of stock selection, product management and payment processes.

As the business has grown in terms of new client acquisitions and the expansion of existing client requirements, an opportunity to proactively amplify its influence and promote its developing retail collections has emerged. Tiffany has been appointed to spearhead this part of the growth strategy.

In addition to actively seeking new retail partners in the fitness, spa, attractions and hospitality markets, Tiffany will also drive the company’s marketing activity and playing an active role in the design and development of captivating new retail lines.

Speaking about the promotion, Tiffany says: “Blu Leisure is at a transformational point in its evolution. In response to operator needs, the company has developed a new ecommerce service providing a quick and easy means of ordering retail apparel and accessories around the clock, with no minimum order requirement. Sourced from our network of carefully selected international suppliers, we are offering high-quality, eye-catching products at a price that allows for a mark-up price of at least 50 per cent. This creates significant profit opportunities for our clients.

“This service is gaining momentum and my role will be to harness the growing interest from operators to strengthen an already thriving retail division.”

Tiffany’s new role has come into effect this month. Vicki Peck, MD at Blu Leisure, adds: “Tiffany has been a valued member of our team for the last two years. Her boundless creativity, meticulous attention to detail and her unwavering determination means she is perfectly placed to propel the business forwards. With our ecommerce service flourishing and an exciting new range of eco-friendly products on the brink of launch, I am excited to steer the business into the next phase of its development.”

For more information on Blu Leisure’s retail range, visit: bluleisure.co.uk or to speak to the team about the bespoke uniform and merchandise service call: 01908 582525.

All good things come to those who wait! With less than a week to go until Elevate, Taylor Made Designs (TMD) has linked up with Blu Leisure to showcase a full complement of leisure uniform, merchandise and retail products at this year’s show.

James Taylor, Global Sales Director, Taylor Made Designs, says: “A gap in our schedules opened up which meant we could commit to the show. This is great news as the show provides the perfect environment to showcase our products and services to thousands of leisure professionals.”

TMD specialises in the supply of bespoke and off-the-shelf uniform plus merchandise, whilst Blu Leisure provides a comprehensive range of own brand and customisable retail leisure garments, swimwear and accessories.

Vicki Peck, Managing Director, Blu Leisure, adds: “Together with TMD, we can cater for all of an operators workwear and retail needs. Our Blu Leisure range is competitively priced to give operators at least a 50 per cent mark up on every garment. I’m really looking forward to catching up with clients and friends as well as showcasing our products to those who may not have seen them before.”

Taylor Made Designs and Blu Leisure will be located on stand B7. If you are interested in pre-booking a meeting to discuss uniform, merchandise or leisure retail needs, contact James on 07885 295879 or Vicki on 07720 604215.

James and Ed Taylor, Directors at Taylor Made Designs, are heading out to the Saudi Entertainment and Amusement (SEA) Expo to join hundreds of other professionals from the world of attractions and entertainment.

The international event, being hosted at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Centre, Saudi Arabia on May 28-30, offers a chance to hear from world leaders, influencers and disruptors in the SEA Summit, explore the latest product and service innovation in the extensive exhibition hall and take advantage of the largest gathering of entertainment and attractions professionals in the Middle East.

Speaking of the event, Ed Taylor says: “Although Taylor Made Designs has its HQ in the UK, we service a global client portfolio. This event enables us to catch up with many of our international clients, partners and industry friends, all under one roof whilst also presenting excellent opportunities to make new contacts and explore new possibilities. In just a few days we can have quality interactions with literally hundreds of other professionals. Video conference calls great but they are no substitute for in-person contact.”

Post event, Ed will be remaining in the region for a few days to visit clients in Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

If you are heading out to the event and want to meet up, get in touch with either James or Ed directly via a DM on LinkedIn: LinkedinJames, LinkedinEd

To find out more about the SEA Expo visit: saudientertainmentexpo.com